One-on-one with Carl Weathers: From St. Augustine HS to set of new NBC show 'Chicago Justice'

One-on-one with Carl Weathers: From St. Augustine HS to set of new NBC show 'Chicago Justice'

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Updated: 6:57 PM CST Mar 1, 2017

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WEBVTT FROM FERGUSON, BALTIMORE ANDMILWAUKEE -- FLETCHER HE PLAYS MARKJEFFRIES, A STATE ATTORNEY THATIS READY FOR THE BIG CASE.AND THIS IS A FIRST FOR THEVETERAN ACTOR, IN HIS CAREESPANNING FOUR DECADES, THIS ISTHE FIRST TIME HE IS PORTRAYINGA LAWYER.CARL: GREAT PEOPLE.WE ARE FORTUNA AND HOPING ITWILL CONTINUE AND THAT IT COULDGO ON AND ON.FLETCHER: BEFORE WE GO ON, LET'SGO BACK TO WHERE IT ALL BEGAN.BORN AND RAISED IN THE LOWERGARDEN DISTRICT, THE 69-YEAR-OLDSAYS ONE OF THE TURNING POINTIN HIS LIFE WAS ACCEPTING ASCHOLARSHIP TO SAINT AUGUSTINEHIGH SCHOOL IN THE EARLY 1960'S.CARL: THAT WAS A CUTE, BECAUSEMY PARENTS COULD NOT HAVEAFFORDED THAT AT THE TIME.BUT TO GET A SCHOLARSH AND TOACTUALLY HAVE PARTICIPATED THEREAS AN ATHLE AND TO HAVE HADFORMATIVE YEARS AND MEMORIES OFSOME OF THE GUYS THAT I WENT TOSCHOOL WITH, AND THE PRIESTS ANDTH LAYMEN, FOR A TEENAGE BOY,THAT TO WAS ONE OF THEULTIMATE EXPERIENCES.FLETCHER: YOU LOOK AT N, ATNEW ORLEANS AS AN INTEGRAL PARTOF WHO YOU ARE?CARL: CULTURALLY, ETHNICALLY,THERE IS SOMETHING ABOUT THECITY THAT IS LIKE NO OTHERPLACE.FLETCHER: HE ATTENDED SAN DIEGOSTATE UNIVERSITY ON A FOOTBALLSCHOLARSHIP, THEN PLAYEDPROFESSIONALLY FOR THE OAKLANDRAIDERS AND THEN THE BRITISHCOLUMBIAN LINES IN THE CANADIANFOOTBALL LEAGUE.BUT SINCE HE HAD A DEGREE INDRAMA, HE RETIRED FROM FOOTBALLTO PURSUE HIS REAL DREAM, ACTING.SINCE THEN, HE HAS STARRED IN 48FILMS OR TV SHOWS.FLETCHER: I DON'T THINK PEOPLEIT REALIZE THAT PEOPLE REALIZETHE RANGE OF WHAT YOU HAVE DONE,IS TRULY TREMENDOUS.I'M SURE PEOPLE ASK YOU A LOT,ARE YOU, SINCE YOU ARE MOSTSYNONYMOUS WITH APOLLO CREED ISTHAT SOMETHING YOU ARE OK WITHEVEN THOUGH YOUR BODY OF WORK ISSO MUCH MORE FORMATIVE?ARE YOU STILL OK WITH APOLLO?CARL APOLLO IS A PART OF ME ANDIT WIL BE, AND THE EPITAPH WILLBE, APOLLO CREED IS DEAD, LONGLIVE APOLLO.BU, SO YES, I'M COMFORTABLEWITH IT.FLETCHER: STILL A SPORTS FAN, HEIS STILL COMFORTABLE ADMITTINGSOMETHING.FLETCHER I AM A SPORTS ANCHORAT THE TV STATION, WHERE YOU ASAINTS FAN DURING THOSE YEARSGROWING UP IN NEW ORLEANS?CARL THE HONEST ANSWER?FLETCHER: YES.CARL: NO.I WAS OAKLAND RAIDERS, ONCE ARATER, ALWAYS A RATER.-- RAIDER.FLETCHER: WEATHERS SAYS HE DOESFOLLOW THE SAINTS AND THINKS THETEAM WAS A SAVING GRACE FOR THECITY IN THE YEARS FOLLOWING

One-on-one with Carl Weathers: From St. Augustine HS to set of new NBC show 'Chicago Justice'